School, day care join to help special needs kids

NICOLE SACK - Staff Writer

TEMECULA -- Malinda Smith is a hugger. As the owner andexecutive director of ABC Child Care, she breaks her stride walkingthrough the classrooms of the day care facility to greet her littleclients with open arms.

Smith said the entire premise of her child care center is to
create a feeling of inclusiveness, whether it's through teaching
sign language, offering bilingual instruction, learning about the
ethnic backgrounds of families or just overall participation of the
students with one another.

That inclusive philosophy does not stop at the doors of the
center at 40045 Village Road, which serves 600 children.

ABC Child Care is now partnering with Ysabel Barnett Elementary
School -- the first time the Temecula Valley Unified School
District has partnered with a private business -- to offer a
"wrap-around" preschool program for special needs students. The two
facilities are located next door to each other.

"This has been a passion of mine for a long time to offer a
program like this," Smith said. "To partner with the Barnett school
makes so much sense. We can offer a full day of preschool care for
these children, and offer the parents new options in how their
children are cared for."

Ysabel Barnett, which has an enrollment of 117 special needs
students, offers three hours of daily instruction for students with
disabilities. With the new partnership, ABC Child Care will offer
an additional five hours of daily preschool programming. Enrollment
is open and organizers hope to have classes starting in two
weeks.

"This is a wonderful partnership between TVUSD and ABC Child
Care Village because it offers parents additional care options
outside of Barnett's preschool special day class," said Melanie
Norton, spokeswoman for TVUSD. "Plus, it's a perfect fit for the
school and the child care center considering their close proximity
to one another."

About 40 students will be served in two inclusion program
classes. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide children,
with and without disabilities, with realistic life experiences that
prepare them to live in the community, by making them aware of
differences and similarities between themselves and their
peers.

"As they play together, they develop a sense that everyone,
regardless of ability or disability is a very important member of
the preschool community," Smith said. "What an important long-term
contribution to our society as these children become adult
decision-makers in our communities."

The flagship program is partially funded through a $310,185
grant from First 5 Riverside, which is part of the Riverside County
Children & Families Commission. The grant will help pay for the
added costs of a 1:3 teacher-to-student ratio.

"We are able to offer a very low teacher-to-student ratio," said
Monica Kirchweger, master teacher of the wrap-around preschool
inclusion program. "We've hired our new staff, now we're waiting
for the children."

ABC Child Care will conduct an open house from 11:30 a.m. to
12:20 p.m. and from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 8, for parents who are
considering the facility for their children.

"The opportunity for children with special needs to participate
in these experiences with other young children without disabilities
has tremendous value," said Cristin Nicoletti, ABC Child Care
Village operations specialist. "They do not experience the negative
effects of labeling and attitudes fostered when children have
limited exposure to a special developing child."